Railroad-tie.



the tie. '30

UNITED STATES THOMAS F. GILCREST, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

RAILROAD-TEE I No. 902,287.

Specification of Letters Patent.

7 Patented Get. 27, 1908.

Application filed August 31., 1907. Serial No. 399,72.

of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Railroad-Tie, of which the following is a Specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in railroad ties, and is designed'to produce a composite tie of cement'and metal, the metal forming a bond for the cement and also constituting a broad bearing for the rails, while thecement protects the metal and forms an extended support therefor between the metal and the ground.

The invention consists essentially of a tie of usual shape the body of which is composed of cement, lengthwise through which extend webs of metal suitably s aced and locked and constituting the hon s for holding the cement together and reventing it crumbling or disintegrating un er, shocks or blows.

In accordance with the present invention there are provided .two angle plates with their sides parallel to each other and spaced apart and. their angle extensions projecting in opposite directions and constituting the major portion of the top or bearin face of Ad'acent to but spaced rom the parallel portions of the two an le irons are metal strips locked to the ang e irons and constituting locking members for the cement body of the tie. Fast to the to of the hearing faces of the angle irons are c 'ps by means of which the rails are securely clamped to the ties.

The invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which,-

Figure 1 is an elevationof the improved tie, with a portion shown in section and with I the rails in position, the latter also being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a rail and so much of a tie as is contiguous thereto; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal transverse section of a portion of a tie in the line of the 7 o a ti; adjacent to a rail.

Referring to the drawings, there are shown -s acin bolts" and Fig. 4 is a cross section two angle irons which are-composed of a web land an angle extension 2] The webs 1 are arranged parallel one to the other and con-- nected by bolts 3, but surrounding the said portions of the webs i are spaced apart a distance equal to the length of the sleeves 4. The angle portions of the angle irons form the top of the tie and project in opposite directions and reach points coincident with the sides of the tie.

On the outer side of each web portion 1 of the angle irons there is a metallic strip 5 through which the bolts 3 extend and on these bolts between the web portions land the strips 5 are spacing sleeves 6. The strips 5 are narrower and thinner than the Web portions 1v and the bolts 3 serve to lock together both the webs 1 and strips 5, there being left between, the strips 5 and the outer faces of the webs 1 spaces corresponding: to the length of the sleeves 6.

When the metallic structure thus far de scribed is properly assembled a cement bod 7 is molded around the same so as to fill a the spaces, and in cross section the cement body is preferably rectangular although not necessarily so. When the cement body is suitably formed about the metallic parts the upper surfaces of the angleportions 2 are exposed while the cement fills the space between the webs 1 and up to'the topsurface of the angle portions 2. Thecement body 7 is so applied to the metallic parts 'as to -con1-. pletely embed the same except that at oer-- tain portions there are provided recesses 8 in the sides of the cement body.

The tie is of any suitable length, and on and serving to bind the same firmly to the ties. These clips are held in place by bolts 12-, the heads 13 of which engage theunder faces of the angle extensions 2 at the points where the recesses 8 are formed in the cement body 7, and the nutsl l of these bolts bear uponthe top of the clips 10 and so bind the latter firmly to the angle extensions 2. While not so shown, it is to be understood that any appropriate form of nut lock may be applied to the bolts l2, to prevent the accidental displacement of the nuts 14 therefrom.

The sleeves 6 before referred to may be either simple sleeves or the bolts 3 maybe 1 formed of rods threaded at each end to a sufficient distance and the sleeves 6 may be'in the formof nuts applied to the bolts and clamping the webs 1 firmly together, while the strips 5 are clamped to the nuts 6 by means of other appropriate nuts. Since the nuts of. the bolts 3 areembedded in the ce 5 ment body no nut locks are necessary.

It will be observed that the an le irons, which are extended throughout the length of the tie, constitute a broad bearing surface for the rails, so that the weight of the rails,'

10 or of cars passing over the rails, is distributed over a large area of the cement body, while at the sametime the webs of these angle irons act as reinforcementsfor the cement body of the ties. Furthermore, the body of cement. adjacent to the outer faces of the webs is further reinforced by the strips 5 so that the cement is notliable to' break away from the webs 1,, Because of this construction the cement body has little tendency to disintegrateor crack, and, even if cracked to a certain extent, to'fall away from the metallic parts-and. so decrease-the efficiency of the tie. Y i 1 The rails are held in theirfspaced osition by the angle irons 1-2, and any tendbncy of p these angle ironsto' expand and contract under the action of heat is counteracted bythe binding action of'the cement body.

- The compositeties approximate in size and shape the commonly used wooden ties and are particularly adapted to replace wooden ties and cooperate with equal facility with the road ballast usually employed.

. Instead of using bolts 12 to secure the clips 10 to the angle irons 2, I may use rivets, as will be readily understood. The clips 10, While primarily intended to secure the rails to the tie, also serve to give material additional bonding strength to the angle irons.

I claim :1. A composite tie for railways composed of spaced angle irons and a cement body completely embedding the webs of the angle irons with the angle extensions of said angle irons at the surface of the tie and projecting oppositely and together with the cement body between the webs constituting the railreceiving face of the tie.

2. A composite tie for railways composed of a cement body and spaced angle irons having their webs adjacent and the angle extensions proj'ectin op ositely, the cement body completely em ed ing the webs of the angle irons and extendin between them and level with the surface of t 1e angle extensions, and means also embedded in the cement body for holding the angle irons in spaced relation.

3. A'com osite tie for railroads, composed of a body 0" cement, spaced angle irons having web portions embedded in the body of the tie and their angle extensions constituting the rail-supporting face of the tie, bolts extending through the webs of the angle irons'within the cement body, s acing sleeves surrounding the bolts and holding the webs. apart, metallic strips parallel with the outer faces of the webs and carried by the bolts, and spacing means between the strips and the contiguous faces of the webs. '70

4. A composite tie for railroads composed of a body of cement, spaced angle irons having the web portions embedded in the body of the tie with the angle extensions oppositely projecting and constituting the railsupporting face of the tie, longitudinally disposed strips adjacent to the outer faces of the webs and also embedded in the cement body, and means for connecting the webs together and to the stri s. j In testimony that claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses;

THOMAS F. GILCLREST.

Witnesses 7 WM. MONTGOMERY, BERTIE- LYNN. 

